X to Launch Handle Marketplace, Pricing Rare Usernames to Seven Figures

X introduceert zijn lang beloofde handle-marktplaats, waardoor Premium-abonnees inactieve gebruikersnamen kunnen claimen via een systeem met twee niveaus dat de meest begeerde handlen tot zeven cijfers prijst.

The marketplace, which is only open to Premium Plus and Premium Business subscribers, splits dormant accounts into Priority and Rare categories.

Priority handles (full names, multi-word sentences, or alphanumeric combinations such as @JohnSmith or @Lisa35) are free to request, but they come with terms and conditions.

Cancel your Premium subscription and X will withdraw the handle after a 30-day grace period.

Rare handles work differently. Short, generic usernames like @Pizza, @Tom or @One cost anywhere from $2,500 to over $1 million, depending on what X considers their cultural significance and demand.

Unlike Priority handles, users who purchase Rare handles get to keep them even if they cancel their Premium subscription.

However, don’t be crazy if you’re thinking about becoming a turnaround tycoon. “Trades obtained through the Marketplace are non-transferable,” said X. “Selling or buying handles outside the platform is not permitted and may result in account suspension.

Overall, X sees the initiative as solving a long-standing frustration. The marketplace prevents the chaos of open-handle releases, where bots have historically snatched desired names in seconds, company materials show.

Users who want a specific handle that is not currently listed can add it to a watchlist and receive notifications when it becomes available.

The move formalizes what has existed underground for years. Unofficial marketplaces for Twitter handles have been active since the early days of the platform, but X has never profited from those transactions.

However, in this case, instead of simply purchasing a new account, users pay for the right to change their username. By doing this they retain their followers, who are simply migrated to the renamed account.

“Your previous username is frozen and unavailable to others,” says X on the marktplaats site. “In the future, we may offer redirect options for certain accounts at an additional cost.”

This option has not yet been implemented.

Research into this phenomenon found that just 27 audited accounts were able to generate almost half a million dollars just by making a few moves. Now the company controls both the supply and pricing of its digital real estate.

This isn’t Musk’s first attempt to make money from dormant accounts. In December 2022, shortly after acquiring Twitter, he announced plans to free up 1.5 billion inactive usernames.

In November 2023, it was reported that X approached private buyers for a flat fee of $50,000. In April 2025, researchers suggested that verified organizations could bid for handles starting at $10,000.

So what has changed?

The bottom line, apparently. X is looking for revenue outside of advertising, which has plummeted since Musk’s takeover. It’s a no-brainer to bet that exclusive access to coveted titles will drive subscriptions among brands, influencers, and collectors.

Critics claim that the system creates a digital caste structure, especially since it forces users to maintain their Premium subscriptions in order to reap the benefits of having a specific username. The implementation turns usernames into rentals instead of permanent digital assets for most users.

And questions about transparency remain. X has not disclosed how it determines which accounts qualify as inactive, nor how the original owners can dispute or handle seizures.

The company acquired photographer Gene

Degens may also remember how Gemini CEO Cameron Winklevoss “ruthlessly” took over the handle @Cameron from a crypto miner.

“I’ve been an OG for Twitter, I created @Cameron when Twitter came out. I’ve owned the handle for over a decade,” Cameron Asa, the original owner, told me. Declutter in 2020. “I have literally done nothing wrong with this platform, and the little guy always gets thrown under the bus.”

We would like to contact you for comment, but X has a policy of not responding to press inquiries.

How will X price these precious handles?

Who knows. We tried to put the paperwork in motion to purchase https://x.com/decrypt, but all we got was a spot on the waitlist.